RE: KILLERS of PUBLIC PARTICIPATION-- ELECTED OFFICIALS

[Juergen Hansen <commonsproject@vip.net>]

I have just gone through a four-year large-scale land use planing process, as an ordinary participant. Unfortunately, the process (supposed to be "consensus) was poorly defined and was managed and manipulated by govt. officials. So it seemed to confirm your experience. 

The solutions to such dilemmas is,I think, to make the process independent of govt. by leting the govt. be the convenor, but nort the manager of the process. Then let the group chose a clerarly defined structured (!) and facilitated (!) negotiation process in wich the neutral facilitator leads the group through an analysis-options-decision sequence. The facilitator should lead the group through the thinking and negotiation process but should not take part in the substantial discussions. Each participants gets a chance to walk his or her "road from re-conceived position to common interest". 

I'll be happy to provide more detailed info to anybody interested, or I'll sell you a copy of my generic book on Table Manners for Round Tables. It describes much of this in more detail and it's being re-written with an environmental focus. 
I have pratised this system as a professional facilitator cand have found that the public responds enthusiastically. Traditional "politics" enters in only at the very end, when the group decision is handed to the convenor.